Car washing device

ABSTRACT

A car washing device comprises a plurality of soft and small diameter rotary brushes which are secured to resilient flexible shafts, with two or more sets of brushes in pairs, and with two brushes in a pair being spaced apart adequately and rotated at low speeds. The brushes are soft enough to be compressed to every curved surface of an automobile. The latter brush assembly forms part of an entire car washing installation through which automobiles are automatically drawn while suitable devices are arranged along the installation for washing, polishing and drying each automobile as it passes through the installation.

United States Patent Tatara et al. 51 Sept. 26, 1972 CAR WASHING DEVICE757,722 9/1956 Great Britain ..l5/DlG. 2

72 l t Se T tara l8, ak'd 1 men ms 8 i L 22? Prlmary Examiner-Edward L.Roberts Ohdachi, 1477, Higashiterao-cho, Attorney stemberg & BlakeTsurumi-ku, Kanagawa-ken, Yokohama-shi, both of Japan [57] ABSTRACT Acar washing device comprises a plurality of soft and [22] Flled May 1970small diameter rotary brushes which are secured to [211 App]. No.:36,728 resilient flexible shafts, with two or more sets of brushes inpairs, and with two brushes in a pair being spaced apart adequately androtated at low speeds. "15/21 15/181 The brushes are soft enough to becompressed to [58] Fie'ld 21 E 53 every curved surface of an automobile.The latter 15/97 302 230 b brush assembly forms part of an entire carwashing installation through which automobiles are automatically drawnwhile suitable devices are arranged along [56] References Cited theinstallation for washing, polishing and drying each FOREIGN PATENTS ORppuc o s automobile as it passes through the installation.

544,132 7/1957 Canada l5/DIG. 2 6 Claims, 8 Drawing FiguresPATENTEDSEPZB 1912 3 693. 206

SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTORS 55/20 T I IEA AIVD BY m m 0 HDAGH/ JZTMJJL ATTRNEYS PATENTEDserzswzz 3.693.206

sum 3 or 3 I ll 36 1 g r 37 INVENTORS SEI 747 M; AA-D BY ye /0 Mme/n CARWASHING DEVICE This invention relates to a complete car washing deviceproviding hot water washing and drying.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a device forcomplete washing of a car body very efficiently causing no scratches orspots due to washing using brushes.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated inaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a car washing deviceaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are respectivelyplan and end views showing rotarybrushes in engagement with each other;

FIG. 5 is a section of a rotary brush;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the rotary brush;

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a plurality of rotary brushes connected byflexible shaft and universal ballsocket joint;

FIGS. 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D illustrate processes of manufacturing a rotarybrush from web-like synthetic resin material, in which FIG. 8A denotes aroll of the web,

FIG. 88 illustrates gathered web having a root portion fused by heat ina spherical shape,

FIG. 8C illustrates a web in a folded condition, and

FIG. 8D illustrates a root of FIG. 8C fused in a rodshape,

FIGS. 9A and 9B are respectively front and side views of a sponge-madewater absorber,

FIG. 98 being a partially sectional view thereof;

FIG. 10A is a view of a water suction brush and FIG. 10B a side viewthereof respectively.

FIG. 11 illustrates a motor-driven transmission; and

FIG. 12 illustrates in a longitudinal section a high pressure water jetpipe.

Generally, the conventional car washing devices are of a construction sodesigned that large rotary brushes made of rigid hairs are securelyprovided on sturdy and inflexible shafts which are rotated at highspeeds, the expansion pressure produced by centrifugal force of therotary brushes being used for washing of the car through frictionalaction of the brushes and by effect of great quantities of watershowered all over the car body. After being washed the car is dried witha strong and great wind blown out by means of a blower so as to blow offthe water drops, wherein a relatively high capacity pump is used forwashing the lower part of the car for jetting highly compressed water.In the former car washing process the car has often had scratches orspots on the outer surface thereof and in the latter process of dryingthe device required a large power source. These were disadvantages.

The present invention has for its object to eliminate the drawbacks asabove described.

According to the present invention, a car washing device is proposedwherein rotary brushes are provided with flexibility and resiliency bywhich the rotary brushes are easily deformed to every curved surface ofa car during slow rotation so as to effect washing as smooth as manualwashing with soft leather, so as to eliminate the undesired scratches orspots as described.

In the course of washing there is used the least amount of washingwater, cleanser, and warm water to help degelatinizing the emulsifiedwax. In the drying process after washing the car surface is completelyswept of remaining water drops from the car surface by the waterabsorbing sponge or brush. Thereafter the car body is passed through ahot air curtain so that the drying of the surface can be accomplished bythe above-described means as well as by the retained temperature of thecar body. The lower part of the body can be washed by jetting of washingwater as produced by multiplication of pressure of the compressed airand the speed of flow water. The power needed for the washing can bevery small in capacity.

The present invention will be described more in detail by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawing, a washing car chamber 1 shown in a tunnel-like form isprovided at an inlet 2 thereof with a normal temperature air curtain 3.Warm air curtain 5 is provided at an outlet 4, using waste heat such as,for example, heat derived from heat exchange with waste heat from aboiler. Numeral 6 denotes a small diameter brush constituting anessential portion of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, 5and 6, the brush in accordance with the present invention is soconstructed as is illustrated in the following. There are providedsynthetic resin fiber webs as shown in FIGS. 8A-8D between two plates 77 which have convex exterior surfaces and several holes 8 8 in themiddle and at the periphery thereof. These webs are each bound as shownat FIGS. 8A-8D, the root of which is tightly formed in the ball-likeform illustrated in FIG. 8B or rod-like shape illustrated in FIG. 8D,which is alternately laminated with soft resilient material such aspolyethylene and is laid in multiple layers. Through a central hole 8 ofeach plate 7 is inserted a shaft 9 of glass fiber having good resiliencyand flexibility. Through holes 8' at the periphery is passed a rope 10of synthetic resin of the sturdy characteristic so as to form thosecomponents into an integral unit 6. Such integral units in two or moresets are obliquely provided at preferred intervals so that the sets ofthe units can be expanded to left and right in a fanlike shape. Theobtained brushes may be rotated at a low speed of 50 to 200 RPM by amotor 11 provided at the upper part of the car washing chamber 1. Thus,as shown in FIG. 7, the sets of brushes 6 are interconnected along therod 9 by way of ball-and-socket joints 6'. As is illustrated in FIG. 11,the unit 11 includes a motor 36 which through the worm gear drive 37 andthe bevel gear drive 38, driven from the worm gear drive, rotates oneend of the shaft 9 through a universal joint 39. The lower ends of theshafts of these brushes are each supported by a bearing 12" having alever 12 always tensioned by a spring 12 as shown for example in FIG. 3.

The levers 12 are respectively supported for swinging movement about thepivots 12A so that in response to swinging of the levers l2 and thejoints along the shaft 9 as shown in F IG. 7 it is possible for thebrushes to adapt themselves to the different sizes and configurations ofthe car 13 while being continuously driven through structure as shown inFIG. 11.

There are provided a washing shower 14, a cleanser shower 15 forradiator grilles, a cool water shower 16, a cleanser shower 17, a cleanwater shower 18, a spray pipe 19 of aqueous emulsified wax, a warm watershower 20 for finishing process, a vacuum pump 22, and flexible hangingtubes 21 for strong vacuum water absorption. At the end of each tube 21is a water absorbing sponge 24 having a valve 23 as shown in detail inFIGS. 9A and 98. Each tube 21 has at its lower end an extension 21aterminating in a bottom inclined open end normally closed by aspring-pressed valve plate 23, and a suitable sponge material covers theplate 23 and the support for the spring as illustrated in F IGS. 9A and9B. In response to engagement with a car, the plate 23 is swung inopposition to the spring in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed inFIG. 98, so as to open the lower end of the extension 21a, thus placingthe sponge material in communication through the flexible tubes 21 withthe vacuum pump 22, and in this way drying is effected. However, it isalso possible to use an arrangement as shown in FIGS. A and 108 where awater absorbing brush for wiping water through capillary tubes 25 isshown so that by capillary action the tubes 25 will draw water from thewet surface and deliver the water to the flexible suction tubes 21 whichare in communication with the vacuum pump 22. Two units of rotarybrushes are shown at 26 in FIGS. 1 and 4A, 4B, which have a similarconstruction as the described rotary brush 6. Said two units of rotarybrushes are provided in the device so as to move vertically by afriction clutch and a hoist motor 27 on the sides of the flexible shaftduring rotation by tension directed to the front, upper, and backsurfaces of the car 13 which is moved in the car washing chamber 1.Reference numeral 28 denotes a water gum for impulsively washing thelower surface of the car body by highly compressed water. The gun body29 is for a certain 12 length appreciably throttled at the forward end,as shown in FIG. 12 the inner surface of which is coated with anantifriction material for example Teflon, so as to possibly lessen thefriction with water. A water feed pipe is shown at 30 which maintainshydraulic pressure at 5 to 6 Kg/cm Reference numeral 31 denotes acompressed air feed pipe having a pressure of 7 to 8 Kg/cm Valve 32 isnormally closed by a spring 33. When head 34 is suddenly opened for ashort period of time by appropriate motor driven cam means 34' thecompressed air flows into the gun body 29 to close the valve 35 so thatthe water is stopped to flow and the air enters the pipe, with theresult that the water in the pipe is carried leftwards, as viewed inFIG. 12. The water and the air alternately enter the gun body so thatthe valve 35 will open to allow the water to flow into the pipe andreach the end of the pipe where the fluid is accelerated in speed at theslightly throttled part, raised in speed and discharged to outside. Inthis case, jetting of the air after discharging of the water is in therate of one seven hundred and seventieth of resistance of the waterwherein after discharged without resistance the subsequently suppliedwater is accelerated in speed by succeeding strong air pressure andrushes into the throttled part at the forward end of the pipe.Furthermore, the water multiplied of its speed turns to an impulsivelyrushing water mass under high pressure of several hundreds Kglcm Thusthe water strongly washes the mud away from the lower surface of the carbody and fenders completely. 43 43' designate wheel washing brusheswhich effect washing by combination of rotation and parallel movement incooperation with a sideward shower relative to the wheel by adequateinterconnection mechanism 44 44, such as a motordriven crank mechanism,so as to completely wash the wheels of the automobile passing throughthe car washing chamber 1. 45 indicates rails for introducing the carbody for moving it from the inlet 2 side to the outlet 4 side of the carwashing chamber 1 by own power or conveyor.

All of the above-described components are mounted in any suitable mannerin the positions illustrated on suitable brackets, beams, or the like.Particular elements to control the operations are not required inasmuchas all of the various moving parts operate continuously andsimultaneously without any timed relation or the like being required inthe manner in which the various components are operated.

Operation of the device of the invention is now described briefly. Whenthe automobile is introduced along the rails 45 into the car washingchamber 1, the automobile body which has entered the chamber, which ishigher in temperature than the outside air, through the air curtain 3 iscompletely washed to eliminate the mud on the lower surface of the carbody by striking of the water mass discharged from the water gun 28 towash the lower part from the front to lower surface and to the backsideof the fender. At the same time the front, upper and back surfaces arewashed by the cleanser and the water alternately discharged from theshowers 14 and 15 as well as by the upwardly moving rotary brushes 26.As the cleanser of adequate amount is discharged by the showers 16 17the whole surface of the car body can be washed. Herein, the car bodypasses through between the rotary brushes 6 whereupon each rotary brush6 is slowly rotated in slight contact with the curved surfaces of thecar body by action of the spring lever 12 whereby the car body is washedof its corner parts completely without leaving any spot and washedsubsequently by clean water shower l8, coated with aqueous waxdischarged from the spray tube 19, applied with emulsified wax by hotwater shower 20 and preheated. The car retaining the warmth passes belowthe flexible tubes 21 having the water absorbing sponges 24 and thewater absorbing brushes 25, when all water drops remaining at the uppersurface of the car body may be wiped out. Lastly the car is fully driedby the warm air curtain 5 at the outlet 4 and put to polishing. Duringthis time the water drops wiped from the car body are discharged to theoutside with the air by means of a vacuum pump 22.

We claim:

1. In a car washing installation, a plurality of rotary brush assemblieseach comprising an elongated rotary flexible shaft and a plurality ofbrush sets carried by said shaft for rotary movement therewith, anddistributed along said shaft, each of said brush sets including brushcomponents consisting of a relatively soft, flexible sheet materialgathered together at the region of said rotary shaft and freelyradiating therefrom, and means at said shaft holding the gathered sheetmaterial of said brushes and connected to said shaft for rotationtherewith, said brush assemblies being distributed with respect to eachother for engaging the exterior surface of a car body which movesthrough the installation, and a drive means operatively connected withsaid brush assemblies for rotating said shafts thereof, whereby thesheet material which forms the car-engaging portions of the brushassemblies yields to the different configurations of a car for providinga gentle non-abrasive rubbing action for cleaning the car withoutdamaging the surface thereof.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said sheet material is in theform of a synthetic resin.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said sheet material is in theform of a foamed polyethylene, so that the material is not only flexiblebut also is capable of undergoing compression and expansion whileengaging the surface of a car. I

4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said means for holding thegathered portions of the sheet material adjacent said shaft includespairs of coacting plates between which the gathered portions of thesheet material are clamped, said plates being formed with openingsthrough which said shaft extends and said plates having exteriorconvexly curved surfaces so that the sheet-material bodies clampedbetween the pairs of plates can tilt with respect to each other inresponse to bending of the flexible drive shaft.

5. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said shaft is made ofresilient glass fiber.

6. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said plates are formed withadditional openings through which flexible means extend for connectingthe brush units to each other.

1. In a car washing installation, a plurality of rotary brush assemblieseach comprising an elongated rotary flexible shaft and a plurality ofbrush sets carried by said shaft for rotary movement therewith, anddistributed along said shaft, each of said brush sets including brushcomponents consisting of a relatively soft, flexible sheet materialgathered together at the region of said rotary shaft and freelyradiating therefrom, and means at said shaft holding the gathered sheetmaterial of said brushes and connected to said shaft for rotationtherewith, said brush assemblies being distributed with respect to eachother for engaging the exterior surface of a car body which movesthrough the installation, and a drive means operatively connected withsaid brush assemblies for rotating said shafts thereof, whereby thesheet material which forms the car-engaging portions of the brushassemblies yields to the different configurations of a car for providinga gentle non-abrasive rubbing action for cleaning the car withoutdamaging the surface thereof.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and whereinsaid sheet material is in the form of a synthetic resin.
 3. Thecombination of claim 1 and wherein said sheet material is in the form ofa foamed polyethylene, so that the material is not only flexible butalso is capable of undergoing compression and expansion while engagingthe surface of a car.
 4. The combination of claim 1 and wherein saidmeans for holding the gathered portions of the sheet material adjacentsaid shaft includes pairs of coacting plates between which the gatheredportions of the sheet material are clamped, said plates being formedwith openings through which said shaft extends and said plates havingexterior convexly curved surfaces so that the sheet-material bodiesclamped between the pairs of plates can tilt with respect to each otherin response to bending of the flexible drive shaft.
 5. The combinationof claim 1 and wherein said shaft is made of resilient glass fiber. 6.The combination of claim 4 and wherein said plates are formed withadditional openings through which flexible means extend for connectingthe brush units to each other.